Black Eyes:Rewrite
by Darksabre 110
Summary: Aang, now 16 years old, has become a fully realized Avatar. His experience is now something to be revered across the bending nations. Despite this, Aang begins to grow uneasy as his connection to the spirit world begins to fade and a dark entity returns.
1. Chapter 1: Growing unease

A/N: I recently became aware of the revival of the avatar series. Due to this recent development I decided to rewrite my story black eyes. This is going to be the culmination of all of my practice.

Warm... that could always be said of this place. The land seemed to permeate its own heat. Aang stood just outside of the Fire Nation palace. The sun beat down upon his tattooed head, but he barely noticed as he took in the grand structure before him. Its black spires were an imposing sight. In contrast its curved roof was highlighted red and gold at the corners where two sides of the shingles met.

Closing his eyes, Aang continued up the steps. He no longer needed his sight, depending on his ability in earth bending to show him the way.

"Welcome Avatar Aang, Firelord Zuko is waiting for you" Aang inclined and he did not slow nor open his eyes. His mood was different then what those who knew him were used too. It was for good reason though. Dreams haunted him nightly.

He moved through the halls of the palace, not stopping till he came to the entrance of the throne room. Only then did he open his eyes and allow a smile to come to his face. Zuko was across the long room. He did not sit on his throne. Instead he stared lightly at the mural sized painting of fire that sparkled against the torch light and filled the excessively decorated room.

_Eyes weary and stance tense?_Aang thought, slowly becoming worried for his friend's current thoughts. He moved through the threshold of the room and Zuko immediately looked to him. A smile graced his face. It wasn't much of one, but Aang didn't want to press his luck.

"It's good to see you again, Aang." Zuko said. His scar had become light over the years since he had become Firelord. A fact that Aang knew he was happy for.

"You too, Hotmen." Aang said lightly, and the Avatar noticed that the smile barely made it to Zuko's eyes. Zuko chuckled lightly after a moment and looked to the wall once more. Aang came up and stood beside him, his light shoes a sharp contrast to the ebon floor that the palace favored.

Time passed between the two. Aang knew it was an acknowledgment of the others company. He did not disrupt the moment as he had seen some of the taught muscles in Zuko's shoulders loosen as his tension left him, if only for the moment. After the time turned into a half an hour Aang finally looked back to Zuko.

"How have you been Zuko? It's been six months since I have seen you." Aang asked, finally.

"Yes, it has been. You have missed great news." Zuko said quietly, though there was a light tone to his voice and Aang could tell he was happy.

"Is the news the reason we have been standing here staring at the wall for half an hour?" Zuko gave a light laugh and turned around abruptly. He walked the couple of stairs to his throne before dropping himself unceremoniously onto it, a small grin on his face.

"I am going to be a father." Zuko said evenly, a hint of confidence in his voice as he leaned forward. His eyes closed when he finished.

Aang's eyes lit up at the news, but it also made him doubt his reasons for coming here. This didn't stop him from congratulating the Firelord though.

"Really! That's great Zuko! Can I name him?" Aang said loudly, showing some of the nature he had four years ago. The words surprised the young leader and he looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" He questioned, and then shook his head swiftly as if to amend himself. "No, you can't name him. Knowing you it would be something like-"

"Hotmen Jr." Aang supplied helpfully. This only seem to exasperate the man further as he slapped his hand over his face.

"Exactly." Zuko said. Aang smiled widely and moved up to Zuko's side, coming up to the throne's pedestal. Once he reached the top though he sighed sadly and put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. He looked up at Aang to see sad eyes.

"What happened?" His voice held light concern, as much as could be expected from a still somewhat broody Zuko. Aang looked out over the throne room, eyes staring at the brightness Zuko had brought to the chamber ever since he had rebuilt the room. He liked the change.

"Nothing has happened," He paused and from Zuko's view Aang seemed to look off into a place no other person could see. "Not yet..." Aang said distantly.

"Well, what can I do?" Zuko asked, confused as to what the Avatar had wanted when he asked for this meeting. It had never been required for Aang to make appointments to see him, yet the airbender had always done so anyway.

"I have had these dreams recently..." Aang said quietly, as if he was no longer talking to Zuko but an unseen person in the room. It was a fact that, while not voiced, slightly bothered the Firelord.

"Dreams?" Zuko questioned, his eyebrow raised.

"Something is coming Zuko." Aang looked back at him then. His eyes were hard, yet there was something in them that suggested his confidence was drained.

"Any idea what it could be?"

"No, but the spirit world is in pain. I can hear the spirits agony, as if something is physically attacking their realm. Yet I have checked. No one has harmed anything beyond what is normally done." Zuko listened to Aang intently. He did not understand much about the spirit world, but knew what the Avatar was saying could not be good.

Zuko sighed heavily, making the spikes on his royal robes rise up then descend when he exhaled.

"How can I help?" Zuko said with finality.

"I need you to come with me." Aang said slowly. Zuko looked ahead at that. He was about to retort that he could not do that but he stopped himself. Zuko knew that Aang would not ask this unless he was in dire need of his help.

"My uncle is steward to the throne, he will rule in my place." Zuko said slowly. "Mai will not like this, and she will probably skin you alive." Aang nodded at that.

"I wouldn't ask this of you unless I knew this was an emergency."

"I know." Zuko said, nodding and standing to his feet. I'll prepare for the journey. Is there anything special I'll need?"

"Bring your swords. Also, do you know how to paint?" Aang asked. Zuko looked oddly at Aang.

"I have some skill, yes. It was something that I was taught as a child." Aang nodded.

"Bring your paints as well. There is a woman in the South Pole. She is very old and does not have much longer before she passes to the spirit realm. I would very much like a picture to be made of her before she moves on." Aang said. Zuko, though curious as to whom this person could be, did not ask questions.

"I will bring them, along with all of my standard gear. As I said, my painting skill has not been tried in a long time."

"I'm sure you will do your best. You always do." Aang said quietly. Zuko took the compliment and stood up to follow Aang as the two descended the stairs. Zuko realized that this would be the last time he would be sitting on the throne for some time. He looked back at the huge chair he had gone through so much to obtain.

Despite going through all that hardship, Zuko realized he would not miss the throne nor this palace. He craved the hardship of the road once more. The feel of his swords in his hands, fires burning across his body as he bent the dangerous element to his will. Yes, Zuko had missed some aspects of his exile. He looked at the Avatar as they both reached the exit to the chamber.

Yes, Zuko would miss Mai, miss his uncle, he would even miss some of the servants he had befriended. It was overshadowed by the fact that he was looking forward to this trip.

If a challenge came to him, he would deal with it as he always had. With his head bowed forward, eyes ablaze with passion, and heart knowing that now he had the support of friends.

_Let this threat come._Zuko thought, a small smile gracing his features as a thrill of excitement shot through his chest. The feeling was like a bolt of lightning being redirected.

xXx

Katara leaned against the wall of ice gently, eyes closed in quiet contemplation as the chilled wind blew across the frozen glaciers of the South Pole. Snow fell lightly on the shoulders of her parka as she shifted her weight against the wall. She had grown into even more of a beauty over the four years since the war. Her dark hair fell loosely across her back, reaching to her lower back. Her body had become toned from consistent bending practice over the years.

_Gran Gran_

The name of the beloved elderly woman shot through Katara's head before she could squelch it, and the thought almost brought a tear to the young woman's blue eyes. Gran Gran was fading. Her old frail body was finally catching up with her spirit and vitality that she had kept despite the harsh conditions that the people of the southern water tribe lived in. Katara had done everything she could to heal her grandmother, but the old woman had just chuckled in a knowing fashion.

'_The greatest bender in history cannot cure old age Katara, you know this as well as I.'_

Gran Gran's eyes showed that she did not fear what was ahead of her, but had accepted her life as she had lived it.

"Katara?" Said a male voice. She recognized it immediately and pushed off the wall she had been leaning against. She bundled the park tighter around her form, the cold bothering her for once, and turned to the speaker.

"Yes, Sokka, what is it?" She asked, her head tilting to the right in question.

"Hey Sis, seal jerky?" He asked, sticking the browned meat in her face. The hand was gently moved away. "I'll take that as a no." Sokka said, before shoving the jerky down his throat. When he saw her expression he tilted his in question, it was reminiscent to the gesture his younger sister had just used.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, and Katara lowered her eyes and went to turn away. She was stopped by Sokka's hand on her shoulder. She allowed the contact and fell into her brother, tears beginning to fall.

"I don't want her to go." Katara said, tears falling freely now as she pressed her face into her brothers shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, and he had to shift the black bladed sword on his back as her limbs moved around him. Sokka sighed at her words and put his chin on his sisters head, closing his own eyes.

Katara had been there for him when their mother had died. Now, when the time came for Gran Gran to go, Sokka would return the favor she had showed him.

"I know Katara, I don't want her to go either." His sister pulled away for a second and looked at him.

"I tried my best to help her." She said, eyes shining through tears. Sokka shook his head when she said this though.

"Katara, I know you have but this is something that no one can fix. We have to enjoy the time we have with Gran Gran." This seemed to upset the water bender more as she pushed her face back on his shoulder.

"I miss Aang," She whispered, and Sokka had to agree with that statement.

"I do too." He said, and pulled away from her and began to lead her through the village. It had been thoroughly rebuilt, looking more like a smaller version of the Northern tribe's city then the little cluster of tents that it had been before. Many northerners had migrated here after the war, as damage from the battle there had left the city wounded and forced many to move to the South. It was a welcome addition.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked with emotion still in her voice.

"I'm going fishing, and you're coming with me." He said with finality. Katara raised an eyebrow at the odd demand.

"Why exactly?" She said, pulling away from his grasp and stopping. Without slowing he turned and walked backwards, still looking at her he gave a shrug.

"Who knows, last time you went with me an Avatar popped out of the water." Katara allowed a small giggle to come, although the smile she gave him didn't have its usual fullness.

"I'm sure that that was a one-time thing Sokka. It's not as if there are a bunch of Avatar's trapped just waiting to be released." He turned and stopped walking backwards, shifting back to walking toward her. He reached for her again with an outstretched hand. The hand was swiftly covered in ice and the owner's eyes widened.

"Now that was uncalled for!" Sokka yelled, flailing his hand around as if the ice would fall off. Katara watched, allowing the amusement that the spectacle provided to lighten her sad demeanor.

"I believed it was."

"It usually is." Said a third voice. The siblings looked over and saw Suki come out of the skin flap door of Sokka's home. "What did he do?" Suki asked, approaching him and sidestepping Sokka's flailing arm as he swung it with no abandon.

"Tried to take me fishing..." Katara said, letting the sentence trail off before looking back to Sokka. "Hey! Why don't you take your wife Sokka?" Sokka stopped flailing, if only briefly, and looked at them.

"Because I always end up in the water when I go with her!" Katara raised an eyebrow at this and looked at Suki.

"Does he deserve it?" She asked the brown haired warrior.

"Oh yeah." Suki said.

"It's so cold!" Sokka yelled, giving his arm another desperate shake.

xXx

"You really are serious huh, to bring out Appa's old armor..." Zuko said, looking up at the sky bison in wonder. The huge animal was clothed in the maroon garb with a gold-plated arrow on its head. He handed Aang a bag of provisions, which the Avatar quietly accepted and tossed into the saddle.

"I'm not taking chances Zuko, this thing is-" He paused and brought a hand to his chin in thought. "It has me worried. This feeling is nothing like I have ever felt before." Aang shook his head as if to clear his head and smiled down at Zuko, his hand outstretched to take the next item that Zuko had brought along.

"I can't say I understand, but I will help however I can." Zuko said as he walked around behind Appa. Zuko saw the bison's flat tail tense as he stepped on it. He began to walk up it and Appa lifted the giant tail off the ground as Zuko was admitted into the saddle.

"So where are we headed?" Zuko asked, as he settled into the saddle. Aang sat himself on Appa's head and looked back at him.

"We have a couple of stops we are going to make but ultimately we will be going to the South Pole."

"And these stops?" Zuko said, nodding.

"I want to visit the sun warrior's ruins." Aang said. Zuko looked at him, the question easily read in his gaze. "The eternal flame that the sun warriors look over, I want to see it again. I'm not sure why but I feel like this is something I have to do." Zuko nodded that he understood.

"And from there?" Zuko asked. Aang smiled at that.

"We are going to go pick up Toph."

"That should be interesting." Zuko said slowly. Aang chuckled lightly.

"Yeah well just avoid her fists because I haven't had much time to visit her in a while and I know she will try to beat me and maybe you."

"Joy."

xXx

The smell of books permeated the air. The light coming through the windows lit up the library with ease as a single elderly man occupied the room. His hair was pulled back in a simple top knot and his beard was well kept. He wore a robe that was simple yet held the grace and elegance that defied the man's well hidden nature. Along the edges of the robe it was trimmed in fire, the element that he wielded his entire life.

Iroh's eyes scanned the pages of the epic he was reading, his eyes passing over the written words with a practiced ease that came with his incredible amount of life experience. The man sighed as he recalled the conversation that he had been having with his nephew.

_The Avatar wants me to come... events have been troubling him._

Iroh had of course agreed to steward the throne in its owners absence. _'Be careful'_ he had told Zuko. The thought made the aging man chuckle. Why did he bother to even say that to the hot headed fire lord. It was true Zuko had come leaps and bounds from the young adult he had been four years ago, yet he hadn't exactly let up on the short temper.

He shifted his weight and stood from his chair, several of his bones cracking loudly at the slow movement. The noise made him sigh, it reminded him of his age. This was one adventure that would have to be completed without him. He only hoped that his nephew would use the wisdom that Iroh had labored so hard to impart to him. He moved across the large room and opened the extravagantly painted door that led to his own room.

He looked around the room slowly, still not quite used to having finally returned to the palace. Even if four years had passed since his brothers fall. The walls were a ruby red and across the tops of the walls were golden paintings of flames. The curving beauty that the artist portrayed hid the elements destructive nature, yet when you went further down the wall you saw the dragons that created the flames above them, their serpent-like bodies curling and twisting as they breathed out flaming death. His dresser was made of a fine cherry wood and the edges of the two door frames matched the border of the walls. Iroh found it lacking creativity himself, but he was not the palace decorator. Not that he would mind the job but his nephew would not allow it, saying that he didn't need paintings of teapots on the walls of his palace.

Iroh had argued that teapots made the nation look more interested in diplomacy than dragons bent on war. Yet when he made this point Zuko had just blinked rather slowly before shaking his head and walking out of the room. It was one of those moments that Iroh had noticed his nephew's growth. A younger Zuko probably would have gone as far as blasting him with fireballs for his antics.

Iroh moved into his room slowly, walking past the bed to the small table sitting to its right. It had a single drawer. Slowly, the man reached out and pulled open the small drawer. In it was a book. While it was not what he really needed it was a start. Lifting the small book and cradling it in his hands he opened it slowly to a section in the middle of the book. A small key sat there. He gingerly fingered the brass key and put the book back in its place in the drawer.

Key in hand, Iroh walked to his dresser and opened it. He looked at the assortment of robes with a passing glance before dropping to a crouch, not missing the sound of his cracking bones. At the base of his dresser was a thick wooden box. The box was deceiving. The inside was actually heavily inlaid with steel while the wood was coated in an oil that would keep the box from burning. Gently sticking the key in hole, Iroh twisted and heard the tall tell click as the box unlocked just before he opened it. The box only held two things. They were the pieces of a Pi Cho table. He lifted the silken bag and heard the clicks of the wooden pieces hitting against one another.

Using the draw strings of the bag he tied it to his belt and carefully tightened it before closing the box once more, setting it back in the dresser and removing the key.

Iroh walked back to the bedside table and put the key back into its original location before leaving the room and entering into the massive hallway. It was a proven fact that seven men could stand shoulder to shoulder in the hall and still have room to move around. He walked down the hall, taking in the black columns and red walls. He swore this place needed a new color scheme, if only he could make it happen. He turned down several joining halls and finally found himself at the palace entrance. He had passed several of the servants on the way. They had paid him heed, asking if there was anything he needed. He had kindly declined their offers and walked down the steps of the palace with a careful ease. He came to the cobblestone paths that led past the walls that surrounded the palace. Swiftly as his age would allow he left through the walls and found himself in the imperial city.

Iroh looked at the buildings as he passed. Large houses set up to match the color scheme of the palace.

"People lack imagination." He whispered under his breath. He passed many people in his walk, almost all bowed. He greeted many in return but didn't tarry as he was headed towards a set destination.

As he walked a gentle breeze passed across the hem of his robe, it was so gentle and focused Iroh stopped his quick trot. Looking around him Iroh's eyes landed on a demure figure, they were robed

and hooded. The garment was yellow but not the yellows that the fire nation favored, as it did not carry the gold that attracted attention. Yet this yellow seemed to hold a more humbleness to it, he had seen the color before yet he could not recall where he had seen it at the time.

The person, whom was obviously female if her movements were anything to judge. As her gliding movements and swaying steps could not point to any male he had seen. She walked to the entrance of a tea shop and went in, Iroh watched the place she disappeared for a moment before taking careful steps to the entrance eyes scanning around the outside of the building. He had been here of course, he often frequented The White Lion tea shop so it was with familiarity that he stepped through the threshold.

"Dragon of the West, it is always an honor my Lord." Came the voice of young man, Iroh pointed a fatherly smile in his direction.

"Thank you Choi, have you by any chance seen a woman in robes come in here. She arrived just before I did." His voice was quite as it was considered rude to interrupt the many silent patrons of the tea shop.

Choi smiled his dark hair was swept behind his head in a large top knot. He had the same eyes as many of the fire nation, the bright golden color showing his heritage.

"As a matter of fact I did." She is in the back of the shop. Though she did not order any tea, nor did she say much." Iroh thanked him and moved past many of the tables in the lobby before coming to a entrance that held no door he easily passed through it and passed several of the private meeting rooms that the place had. The last room on the right had a rice paper door that all the other rooms carried the difference was this door remained open he stopped just before he put himself in front of the entrance. The cloaked woman was in the room she was sitting cross legged cloak fanned around her and head held down as to not show her face. Iroh did not like her secrecy and would have been less reluctant to go in was he not the current ruler of the fire nation.

"Thank you for coming, Iroh of the fire nation." Said the woman. Iroh was surprised at how young the woman sounded. He looked over his shoulder seeing back down the hallway he had come before looking back into the room she had yet to move.

With care he walked into the room but did not move for the moment choosing to stand for now.

"To what do I owe this company?" He said politely, though he noticed that his voice sounded clipped and to the point. He watched as she seemed to notice too and her head raised slightly and he could see the smirk of two ruby red lips in the shadows of the cowl.

"I am here by request of our mutual order." She said cryptically. There was not movement at all as she spoke. Iroh realized the young woman must be extremely disciplined to be able to maintain such stillness and a confidence that defied her situation as she was in a room alone with a coiled Dragon of the West as the man was very much on edge.

"I'm not sure what you mean." He said, and it was an honest reply.

"Split the pieces." She said evenly. The hood shifted to the left as she looked in that direction. Iroh followed her gaze and saw a medium sized Pi Cho table in the corner.

Carefully Iroh moved to the table and sat next to the table making sure to keep the shin high table between them she moved and sat across from him. He looked at her carefully trying to see more then the ruby red lips she had only recently revealed. He untied the bag on his waist not believing that this person could be the contact from the order of the white lotus. Quickly he split the pieces, as he did he was still amazed as she did not even slightly shift. It was as if she did not need to even breathe.

Iroh placed the first piece on the board with a clack as wood met wood. She quickly followed, and it took off, each taking turns. As Iroh placed his last piece he completed to petals of the lotus, he looked at all the pieces of the board trying to guess the girls rank. This would prove who she was as her last piece was held gingerly between two fingers of a pale hand. She had identified him, it was the reason she had gone second as it was her duty to place the last symbol and show her true rank in the order.

With a slow movement she placed the last piece, there was no noise when she placed her piece as if the very air cushioned it and muted the noise. He leaned forward slightly to look at the piece she had set. At first he had felt angry, he had been tricked. There was no way this girl was a piece of the order as she hadn't even played a relevant piece. It had not been used in a hundred and sixteen years.

On the piece was three swirls the symbol of the air nomads, and a common piece before the extinction of their kind.

"It was unwise to waste my time. Now you would do well to tell me what you have done with the sword master." He said evenly. He was again graced with the coy ruby smile.

"His reaction to the piece was much the same as yours." She said though this time there was mocking in her voice. A younger Iroh would have lashed out, his nephew probably would have left nothing of the girl save a few burnt hairs but Iroh had experienced years of life and would see how this played out. If she attacked him then he would be ready for it.

"I am not a person you would want to test girl. I do not care who you are but know that you are getting yourself into very important matters." He stood to leave as he turned to the door.

It was with great surprise that the rice paper door slid closed by an unseen force. Iroh felt his eyes widen but made no other move as he went over the implications of that move.

"You see Dragon of the West, The Order of the White Lotus was created and controlled by the air nomads," He fully turned to her and saw her standing to her feet, soundless as always. "And the Air Nomads still control it."

"If what you say is true then the-"

"Yes, General Iroh. The Air Nomads are still very much alive."

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

The wind whipped wildly in the evening air as Zuko sat on Appa's saddle. His hair billowed viciously, further obscuring his vision in the waning light as night descended upon the lands of his kingdom. The six legs of the sky bison moved steadily ahead through the evening sky, powerful muscles tearing through the growing turbulence with practiced ease.

The lord of the fire nation looked ahead to his companion whom sat on the round head of the large animal. Even though Zuko knew that conversation was not a necessary part of their relationship, the fire lord still became worried as the Avatar had barely spoken at all since they had left the palace. It was almost unsettling to the fire bender to see his normally carefree friend in such a contemplative state of mind.

"Aang?" He said over the sound of rushing wind. Quickly the airbender looked back to Zuko, his dark eyebrows rising in question. Zuko studied that look with care, picking it apart to discern clues to the Avatar's obviously troubled thoughts. "Is everything okay?" He asked. The question did not come easy to the stoic fire lord.

He didn't get his answer though, as his eyes fell upon their destination. "We're here." Aang said. The Avatar began bringing the bison down in slow circles as to not cause a panic to the people below. Zuko looked over the left edge of the saddle. The sun warrior city sat silently below. As Zuko looked at it he felt a sense of unease run its course through him. The last time Aang and himself visited the sun warriors he had been confident in the reasons they were here. This time Aang was calling the shots and Zuko wished that the flighty airbender would include him in these plans.

Appa sat down on the ground, his landing silent as a breeze. As the bisons toes touched down Zuko planted his right hand down on the side of the saddle and jumped over the side, making the short descent to the ground with disciplined movements. As his feet touched down his hand was grasping the hilt of his broadswords whom still sat in there sheath on his back. He quickly scanned the area they had landed and saw no sign of a greeting whatsoever.

Looking back to Appa's head he saw the orange and yellow robed Avatar had yet to dismount. He instead began staring toward the twin peaked mountain they had met the fire bending masters. Slowly Aang's eyes closed and Zuko noticed the glint of the moon on his pale bald head. It would have been a slightly amusing sight were it not for the serious air Aang had cast around him like a blanket. Zuko noted in passing that he was wearing a robe similar to the one that he had worn on Zuko's coronation as fire lord. The only thing missing was the large wooden necklace that he wore before.

Zuko slowly stood to his feet and lowered his guard as he stepped toward the place Aang still sat. His feet were almost silent on the stone paths that the sun warriors favored. Despite walking being natural to all martial artists, the stone floor was had to navigate as the ages had made the stones uneven and some of their tips were raised, making tripping an easy thing to do for the person who didn't pay attention.

"So you going to tell me why we are here or gonna leave me in the undying grips of suspense?" Zuko asked as seriously as his voice would allow. He saw Aang open his eyes and look back at him. He noticed that the monks voice was unusually quite.

"We need to speak to the sun warriors. Something has happened." Aang said. The wind coalesced around him and moved into the folds of his robe before lifting him off Appa's and lowering him to the ground. The whole movement was a blatant testimony to his hard fought abilities and Zuko found himself in awe that Aang did such things without thinking about it.

He began noticing more of Aangs features. What drew his attention first was the fact that the Avatar's eyes looked weary, as if it he had not slept in some time. The monk had obviously grown up a lot since the war. His jaw had filled out, squaring as had his shoulders. He was now almost out of puberty and he was almost as tall as Zuko.

"What's wrong," Zuko asked at last. Aang looked back toward the mountain as if trying to confirm something before he spoke.

"You remember the dragons that taught us firebending when we came here last?" Aang asked, looking back at Zuko even though the answer was obvious.

"Of course." Came the reply. Aang nodded and moved away from Appa, his steps moving gracefully across the rocky ground. Zuko began to follow in step just behind him as they moved through the silent ruins. Neither had their guard down but were confident in their ability to detect trouble.

"I don't think they were regular dragons." The monk said slowly. Zuko was about to question but it wasn't needed. "Think about it, dragons are supposed to be extinct and the two we happen to find cannot only show us the true meaning of fire bending but also test our worthiness and know our bloodlines." He sighed as if he was exasperated. "Zuko those dragons were spirits, I know they were." He said with finality.

"What?" Zuko said, his voice skeptical. "How do you know?" He said, looking sidelong at Aang. The monk lowered his head and shook it carefully.

"Last time we were here I sensed so much spiritual energy. I thought it was the eternal fire or the ancient spirits of the old sun warriors." Zuko nodded at this explanation, agreeing that it made sense. "You see I thought so too, but when we met the dragons I had my suspicions. Now I know they had to be the spirits that I sensed."

"Why the sudden change?"

"Because the dragons have left Zuko. This place has lost all of its spiritual light." Zuko took in those words and weighed them carefully.

"What could have driven them away?" He said quietly.

"I don't know but I believe that it has to do with this dark feeling in the pit of my stomach." When he said that they both came to a stop. Not twenty yards away from them stood another person. He wore the attire that the sun warriors favored but had covered himself with a black cloak that hung open from his shoulders. His face showed due to the hood being pulled back.

"You are no longer welcome here, Avatar Aang."

XxX

Iroh walked into the circled chamber slowly. He was followed by the soundless footsteps of the proclaimed air nomad. The room was not excessively large and sported a massive painting of the white lotus flower that took up the entire circumference of the marble floor. At four separate points of the single curved wall there was a symbol, one for each of the bending nations that made up their known world.

Above them, inlaid in gold and coming out of the ceiling, was a massive coiling dragon. The spikes of its back gleamed, revealing the artists craftsmanship by making them actually sharp. The huge maw was opened in a roar. If one stared at it long enough the roar could actually be heard by ones imagination. Its eyes had been set with gleaming rubies that now only showed brightly because Iroh had come in bearing a torch. He looked up at the massive dragon and raised his fist in a snapping motion. A jet of flame shot from his knuckles and into the dragons maw. Instantly the flames poured from the dragons mouth, bathing the room in a steady flame. Above them the ceiling opened up and revealed the night sky, allowing the heat to escape out the top.

Now sustained by the light and heat, Iroh turned to the young woman following him. She had yet to reveal her name or appearance and she had not spoken since they left the tea shop. He had led her to the mountain side outside the imperial city.

Iroh had of course sent a runner to his servant, telling them not to worry in his absence. They will worry anyway, but that did not matter now. This was a matter, if it was true, of epic proportion. To think the air nomads could actually be alive, it was nearly impossible to believe. He sized up the woman whom now stood across from him. She gave the ghost of a shuffle beneath his gaze. He allowed himself a small smile at that. Maybe she was not as disciplined as he once thought. That was good as his experience gave him more of an advantage over her mystery.

"Before our conversation moves any further, reveal yourself." He saw the ruby red lips smile beneath the cowl of the cloak. Iroh felt his muscles coil beneath his robes as he prepared himself for an attack. It never came though as the woman simply reached up to the edges of her cowl and threw back the hood, revealing long black hair and grey eyes.

"Of course, General Iroh. It is my intention to make our conversation a peaceful affair. I would not do anything to endanger that." Her voice was smooth and her sculpted face was the prime of beauty, she easily matched his niece in physical appearance. She even seemed to posses the same drive and will that Azula had. He prayed to Agni that she was not as crazy as his relative.

"Who do you take orders from?" Iroh asked, his voice gruff in his old age. Despite this, the girl gave him a steady smile. Her eyes betrayed nothing.

"I report to the five elder monks. May their wisdom continue to guide us." She said, though Iroh was not sure why she included the last part, but didn't ask. Instead he nodded and asked his next question, suspicion still heavily in his voice.

"In the Imperial city you said that the air nomads still lived, Are you one of them?" He knew she had to be an airbender after what she had done with the rice paper door, but he had to be sure.

She frowned for a moment and looked around the room, "I am." She said. He looked at the sudden movement. She seemed nervous about answering that, a fact he had easily picked up on. She was searching for listeners.

"I'm sorry, it is usually not my way to be so forward. I try to always be kind to a young lady." He stopped for a moment and allowed a smile to come to his face. "But you have given me a lot to be wary of today. Please understand that what you say is hard to believe." Her smile returned, showing a row of white teeth, before she nodded and seemed to relax.

"Maybe I could show you?" She said. He noted that her smile seemed to be almost sinister. Or maybe that was mischievous? He didn't know of any other way for her to prove it.

"Please, I would be honored to see a demonstration." Iroh said, and bowed slightly. She nodded and went completely still, her eyes darted around the room. She breathed heavily through her nose before her eyes fluttered and she raised her hands up to the dragon that still shot flames from its maw. She made a motion as if she were pulling two fighting people apart and like that the fire went out. Iroh's eyes widened. He knew many types of fire bending, but she didn't bend the fire. She...killed it. Through the openings in the ceilings Iroh saw the moon shine down on them.

"To think someone at your age could displace the air at such a level as to choke out the flames. You are very gifted." She chuckled.

"Thank you General Iroh, but any fire bender could do what I just did."

"They could imitate what you have done, but to remove air is beyond even myself." He lit a small fire in the palm of his hand and saw that her smile had not diminished. "So, how may I be of service to the Elder Monks?" Iroh said.

XxX

She sat in a dark cell. She had never gotten a visitor. She had never been spoken to, save for the guards occasional mumbles. Once, she had been a princess of the most powerful nation. Once, she had been a force to be reckoned with. She had been someone to fear. Now she sat in a lowly cell guarded over by the very same men she commanded. Oh the irony of life.

Hours passed like days and Azula of the fire nation sat unmoving in her dark lit cell. Its iron walls were void of any life save for the vibrations and sounds of others moving about. They had kept her in solitary confinement at the behest of the fire lord. Dear Zuzu didn't want her to gather followers. So here she sat, getting three square meals a day and hating the world.

So much time had passed since the war. Years even, as she had forced herself to keep track of the days. An easy task considering the meal schedule. It had been four years since she had seen day light. She had wondered in passing why she hadn't been banished as Zuzu had, although she knew it was for the same reasons she had been in isolation for four years. Were she free to roam the rest of the world, would she have built an opposition and taken back her rightful place? Probably. Even now all she thought of was sitting bathed in flames on her black throne.

She did not have a thought for some time. She simply gazed into the fire light that shined through the small opening in her iron door. She dare not escape as bending was out of her reach. Although, she could still feel that power there. She could feel the fire on the tips of her fingers, yet it stayed just out of her reach.

It was infuriating. No matter how much she sought after it, her meditations were for not. How could the avatar do this to her? Hadn't she done as her country had asked of her? Served loyally to a Father whom sought to unite the nations under one banner? Why did she have to pay such an ultimate price for the acts of an entire nation? Her entire existence has become shameful.

Just outside of her cell there was a cry of alarm. With slowness Azula raised her eyes to the door, believing that one of the other inmates must have caused a problem. She raised a single eyebrow though, when the cry of alarm was cut off abruptly and she heard the sound of roaring flames. Had someone just died? Did she care? She found that no, she did not. Her head lowered again when the sound of running feet passed by her front door.

"I need back up now!" Came a male voice. The words rung clearly through the steel of her cell door. It was testimony to the volume the man was yelling. Azula felt the muscles in her legs tense at all the commotion. As she did the cot below her conformed to the new position as she sat cross legged upon it.

More flames roared outside of her door and Azula found herself becoming more interested by the moment. The usual prison uprising was easily dealt with seconds after it happened. This was different though, as she was hearing the muted cries of the guard's lives ending. The guards were prohibited to kill the inmates. It was to keep the inmates with a death wish from getting out of their sentence.

"Stay back!" Came the same voice from earlier. It was suddenly much quieter, no other voices spoke. Azula found that odd. If there had been a riot then the inmates would have been loudly gloating about this victory. But the silence was deafening. "Stay awa-" The voice was abruptly cut off and was replaced by dead silence. Azula slowly made to stand up from the cot that had been her bed forever.

As her feet touched the floor, her eyes noticed that something was blocking the vent in her door, obscuring the light. Someone was just outside. Had some assassin finally come for her? Someone whom believed she deserved the death wish? Even without bending she could fight and she would not die easily.

The deadbolt was pulled back and the door slowly swung inward. Azula tensed and her chin raised slightly in defiance. She inhaled deeply, remembering her old firebending teachings despite them being useless to her now. Her feet settled into her first form when a black boot stepped through the opened portal.

It was followed by the long flowing black robes of two cloaked figures. Their faces would have been obscured by shadows but they had taken it further and wore masks the color of blood. The masks had two small black eye slits and black flames had been embroidered around the eyes, leading up to their temples.

"Who are you?" Azula said, her words held their composure despite her being cornered by two obviously powerful people. She looked them over. One was towering over the other and it was obviously male from what she could see of his form. He was breathing heavily behind his armored mask, the breath muffled and menacing. The smaller one stepped around. This one was about her height and carried the same build as Azula.

It was with undeniable surprise when the smaller one fell to one knee and bowed to her, the mask almost touching the steel floors. Then the large man stooped as well. He dropped to one knee, his bow blocking the doorway.

"Milady Azula, we have come for you." Said the hulking man. Azula looked at him, unable to find her voice.

"You were once a force to be reckoned with, but your abilities were wrongfully taken from you." Said the smaller one. Her voice was that of a females.

"Allow us to help you attain your goals." They said at the same time. Azula shivered as a cold wind blew through the cell when they both spoke. "Let us take you to our master." They said together, once more.

As Azula processed this offer she found a small yet sinister smile cross her beautiful face. "Please, lead on."

XxX

Tension was heavy as Aang and Zuko stood across from the apparently angry sun warrior. The man had not spoken again, yet simply stood in their path. Aang sighed and stepped forward in an attempt to negotiate with the man.

"Why are we no longer welcome?" Asked Aang, maintaining a calm demeanor. The man did not speak for a long time but simply held his ground. Aang was about to repeat his question thinking the man had not heard him.

"We have come under the power of a new ruler whom does not welcome outsiders." Said the man at last. Aang noted that he said ruler as if in reverence.

"Well, maybe Zuko and myself could speak to your new leader and come to an agreement." Aang said and Zuko nodded his assent.

"No. You are to leave now!" The sun warrior said, his voice becoming harsh and violent. Aang was about to turn and leave when Zuko suddenly found his hot head.

"Who does your ruler think he is! The avatar and the fire lord are at your doorstep and you deny us entry!" Yelled Zuko, whom now stood in front of Aang. The sun warrior simply maintained his stance of defiance at Zuko's words.

Aang looked along the tops of the ancient ruins, hearing movement on top of the roofs. He looked back to Zuko. "Come on Zuko. I have a bad feeling, we need to leave." Zuko looked back at him and grimaced before shaking his head.

"I do too, but I'm going to put this guy in his place." He said. Aang looked behind them then, and his eyes widened. There were more of them. He couldn't make out their appearances as these ones were completely shrouded by their cloaks. It seemed the sun warrior only showed himself so that they could identify him.

Aang looked along the roofs and saw even more there now. They were surrounded. Zuko seemed to notice this too as Aang saw his eyes shift around them and he tensed. Aang noted the glint of a red mask in the moonlight. It was nearly invisible because their faces were shrouded in darkness.

"Zuko, I think we should leave now." Aang said, dropping into a fighting stance and preparing for an attack.

"Any ideas on which way to leave?" Zuko asked. Aang shook his head to the negative when the sun warrior finally spoke again.

"I warned you to leave. You did not so now my master has decreed your death." From his robes he produced a blood red mask with eye slits. The slits were bathed in a torrent of painted flames.

Before either Zuko or Aang could reply, their world exploded into flames. They both acted quickly. Zuko shot his own bout of flames in the sun warriors direction just before Aang brought a bunker of stone over their heads. They were effectively protected from the flames until Zuko noted a slight change in the shield.

"Is it just me or is it getting really hot in here?" Aang nodded before blasting the rock wall outwards, sending stones in dozens of directions. Zuko moved quickly, deflecting the stray bolts of flames with his firebending. They quickly ran forward. Aang spun and sent out a wave of air behind them, bringing several pursuers to the ground.

Zuko pulled his broadsword from his sheath when they came across an armored warrior. He was not wearing a cloak like the others, yet he wore a mask similar to the rest minus the flames. In his hands he held a spear poised in their direction. Zuko ran forward, passing Aang. He fell forward into a dive, rolling as he fell. He closed in on the warrior who followed Zuko with the edge of his spear. The spear's blade was met with a flurry of swords strikes. Three consecutive strikes and the tip was knocked high, too high for the man to recover a guard. As Zuko came fully to his feet he was face to face with the man. The fire lord heard his ally running up behind him and the ruler side stepped just as the avatar blasted the man with a massive gout of air, lifting the warrior into the air and throwing him to the ground.

The two didn't slow as fire bolts pelted the ground around their feet. Aang felt the hair on the back of his neck raise in anticipation as more troops seemed to pour in from all around them. Aang noted that many seemed to be warriors while there were not as many benders.

Suddenly walls made of stone rose from the ground around the duo. Aang felt his heart sink at the sight of earth bending. This made things difficult. Fire benders were good at a chase but with earth benders they could become trapped. Zuko pulled him to the right as a blast of fire scorched the place that he was a moment before. They ran between two stone structures. They were surrounded with benders from behind and above as they ran across the rooftops. When the two buildings ended Aang inhaled heavily, prepared to enter the avatar state. Across a stone courtyard was the eternal flame, roaring far more powerfully then it had the last time they had been there. The flames were an angry red color and casted everything in a bloody light. They were surrounded now, the only thing not obscured was the eternal flame. It was at this second Aang grasped his past lives and called on their power.

The power flew in and as the spirits came together Aang felt something become unraveled within him. He cried out as pain shot through his head. His tattoos blinked furiously as he went in and out of the avatar state. Darkness rimmed around the edges of his sight and he felt himself fall to his knees. He didn't realize that Zuko was next to him, blocking blasts of flames and destroying boulder sized rocks that were being hurled at them. He knew Zuko was calling his name but he could not bring himself to respond. The sharp uneven stones cut into his knees as he writhed around, trying to regain control of himself.

Aang franticly looked around for what could do this to him. It wasn't until his eyes landed on the eternal flame that he received his answer. Within the flames stood a figure. Its features were completely shrouded in flames and it did not move within the fire but Aang knew that their gazes were now locked. Aang realized that whatever stood in the flames was what was keeping him from going into the avatar state.

It wasn't until moments after that he felt Zuko lifting him to his feet, guiding them both up the tail of a battling Appa whom was roaring and dishing out as much damage as he took. He felt himself dropped into the saddle as Appa lifted into the air.

As he tried desperately to recover himself, Aang realized that whatever was in the eternal flame had forced the dragons to leave and now ruled the sun warriors and probably many others. There were hundreds of benders and warriors after them.

As darkness overtook him the only thought that went through his head was that the world was about to be thrown into another war.

XxX

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED.


	3. Chapter 3: Requiem of the Past

Lightning dashed across the sky, swirling black clouds covered any chance of seeing the stars of the night sky. A never rising sun made the night eternal, as well as the rain and lightning that made up this realm of the spirit world. Upon arriving here you would find the lack of air terrifying, as there was no air to bend let alone breath. Alas breathing was not needed here. It was not needed by spirits nor the often damned that wondered the realms. The landscape of this realm was that of a canyon that had overgrown with plant life. The tress grew despite the lack of sun, grass was long and dark green in its color and the ground was dark black and sopping wet.

The sole occupant of this small section of the spirit world found himself thankful for this small favor. This realm held some semblance of the living realm that he had lived in for the first sixteen years of his life. Lightning again lit up the area as pale yellow eyes looked up at the extravagant show Kai was putting on for him. Despite losing interest in the blue lights nearly half a century ago the spirit of lightning still tried to entertain him while he stayed within her chosen place of the spirit world. He should be thankful to her for saving him from his fate so long ago, yet all he could ask was what if the events had been allowed to transpire. Would he still be the same young sixteen year old he was before he came to the spirit world?

"Kai, where are you?" He whispered to the air. She seldom answered his whisper yet the eternally young man found himself muttering to her more often the past couple of years. He needed the companionship that he had in life, the companionship of a friend, or anyone he could talk too. Kai was often to caught up in her own affairs as the spirit of lightning to tend to him, yet if he was lucky the spirit would appear before him. They would sit in the storm and listen to the storm that raged around them. They would seldom speak for nothing ever transpired to speak about. In his life she had watched him so closely that she knew him better then anyone. Despite her obsession though, he had never touched the spirit. He'd never even got close to her pale skin. The man found that he didn't think he wanted to.

"I am here." Came a soft voice. The young man looked back at her over his shoulder, seeing the beautiful blue gown that the spirit wore. Long white hair spilled down her shoulders reaching to her elbows. The otherworldly gaze stared at him with a white blue eyes, eyes so different from a humans. There was no iris, just a single color of electric blue that held an internal glow. She moved up to the place he was sitting. It was a blackened log that had been struck by lightning long before he had ever arrived in this place.

His mind demanded him to beg the spirit to release him, he had been here so long living this half-life amongst no one save for a quiet spirit and a valley with an eternal storm. The constant sound of rain had lost its beauty so long ago and the small slap of water on his skin had driven him mad long ago. His hair was always soaked and matted to the top of his head, dripping water over his heavy brow that had lowered into a constant look of sadness and contemplation. The young man had long ago went over every event he had memory of in his life. He had played out the things that he would have done differently. He had sung the songs that he knew hundreds of times. He'd counted as high as he could and still time went on here, nothing ever changed save for the slight changes caused by the storm. He had slowly began to forget his bending discipline, a discipline that the world had hailed him for. It was one of the few things he could do here, Kai had made it so, but to him bending had no meaning here. You did not tire here. Sweat did not bead up on your brow as you labored for hours perfecting your art form. He had no reason to practice as no battle would test him here. There was no one to inspire by his practice, no student he could teach happily the virtues of life and an art form he loved.

No time passed in this place for him. Nothing more, nothing less. His existence was a shadow of humanity. Was he to hate Kai for what she had done to him? The spirit obviously loved him. She had saved him, protected him from a dark force that would have put him through an eternity of servitude. He dared to wonder if this life was much worse, as a servant he would have been acting the will of a being. He would have been helping a cause even if the cause was an evil one. Despite these thoughts, he stared at Kai, amazed by her beauty.

"I am happy you came." He whispered through the sound of heavy rain. She smiled lightly at him before gracefully sitting next to him, a slight distance between them.

He watched as she looked up at the sky above them, lightning streaked brightly across it as she payed more attention to it. He had realized long ago that she had continued to give him lightning because this was something that she loved, a power that amazed her despite her being the one creating it. It was almost childish to love ones power in that way but he had found that while Kai had these child like qualities she also possessed wisdom that could not be obtained by a human. She showed him lightning because she believed that he loved it as much as she, it was as if the spirit did not realize that he didn't have such a single minded devotion to one element. In life he had revered many other benders and had crafted his discipline by mixing the movements of three of them. He may have been a firebender in blood but the reasons for being so loved by Kai was because he had found more to firebending than simple flames. He had found lightning to be his friend, his ally and when he bent the electricity to his will. It flowed through him like cool water that you drank on a hot day. It was because of this familiarity with lightning that he had been dubbed 'The Lightning Bender' by the fire lord when he was fifteen.

He was looking ahead now and he soon realized that the lightening spirit was looking at him. He met her gaze and realized her eyes had become sad as she gazed upon him. A frown marred her perfect features as he met her gaze. The young man noticed this and rose a single black eyebrow in question.

"You wish to leave." She said, her voice rung in his ears like music. He found that his gaze could no longer meet hers and found himself staring at the black dirt near his burnt red boot. How had she known, how did she know anything? He let a humorless smile cross his features at that thought. Her beauty and carefree nature belied her wisdom and identity as a spirit. He thought about his answer carefully, before nodding.

"Sometimes, yes." He said quietly before looking at her again. He found her gaze again locked on the sky. Her white hair framed her face as she looked into the rain unflinching.

"I have put you into a cage, locked you away from a world that would have remembered your power and kindness. I have been selfish." She sounded upset by the end, it was not anger just hints of sadness. "In your life I watched you..." She started and the young man looked at her carefully. This was the most emotion he had seen from her since he had come here. "I watched as you used my gift to your kind better then any other human. I watched as you looked up at the storms that I created and loved. My brother, Agni, warned me of my actions. He said that other spirits would take notice of my attentions towards you." She allowed a sad smile at the memory, before frowning more.

"I did not realize that the consequence would be so great. My love for you is why your here, you should not have been taken from your humanity because I was selfish."

"I only wish to leave because I have no one to speak to in this place, you cannot always be here." The young man said as memories from his past came to the surface. Surprise shot through him as he felt a hand touch his cheek, his pale yellow eyes widened as he looked to Kai. He could not tell if tears fell down her face or if it was rain. She looked truly sorry, and the young man found himself regretting his words. Her touch was soft and like her element it was like a bolt of lightning touched him when their skin made contact.

"Only the bridge can take you back to the human world." She said quietly. He wondered what she meant by bridge. "The Avatar." She said, confirming his mystery.

He smiled at the mention of the Avatar. "I once knew the Avatar." She nodded, saying that she knew this.

"I will not keep you here much longer, I promise." She said, before fading away from his sight.

XxX

"We need reinforcements!" Yelled an officer over the sound of explosions. The small earth kingdom troop was bombarded by flaming chunks of earth. One such explosion sent the man into the air moments later, ending his life.

One defender, a young earthbender stood tall. She was encased in solid steel armor that had been bent around her body. She was out on the front line of the battle, a solitary monument to the indomitable spirit that earthbenders prize. The enemy piled around her. The more chaotic the battle became, the more flaming earth that was launched at her, the more powerful she became. The ground shuddered beneath her, giving her three hundred and sixty degrees of vision as her bending prowess gave her the ability to see all around her.

There had been no warning for this attack, no sign that it was coming. The attackers were made up of benders of every nation. Each very skilled in their art. They sported black cloaks and there faces adorned terrifying masks that embodied their bending nation. The generals said they were a solitary rogue group, but that could not be possible. No rogue group could have gathered such a large force without notice from one of the governing bodies of the three remaining nations.

The defenders began building forces around the armored titan at the front line. Her unmoving position was a rallying point for the rest of the warriors. Hundreds of earth kingdom benders littered the battlefield as opposing benders pressed against their waining defense. The enemy was using their benders wisely, playing on each element's strengths. Earthbenders protected firebenders and waterbenders at some points, while other areas of the battle carried the frozen forms of the earth kingdom benders only for them to be shattered by hurled boulders twice the size of a person.

"Toph, we need to retreat and regroup!" Yelled one bender to the armored woman. She looked at the man with unseeing eyes before raising a wall ten feet high and three feet thick, only for it to crumble as it blocked the attack of another boulder.

"We need to push back, a retreat would put them too close to the city." Toph yelled back, her voice muffled because it was coming through the thick metal plates that covered her whole body. Toph moved forward one step only to be challenged by a blast of water. She summoned a column in front of her and allowed the water to pass around her temporary barrier. Once past, sections of her barrier shot forward then fanned out and smashed into three separate opposing benders. She continued her march forward, the field in which they stood was wide and perfect for the opposing side as they had a forest at their backs. Down the center ran a large river. The enemy had passed the river during the night, putting them close to the borders of the earth kingdom city.

"We have to push them across the river!" Toph yelled. Her family lived in this town. She may have a problem with her parents but she would not let them be harmed.

"We can't! If we get them near the water, the waterbenders will tear us apart!" Yelled the man back, as he did he ducked under a well placed fireball just before sending back a chunk of earth the size of a man's chest. Toph listened carefully, she was not a military strategist. She wasn't even in the earth kingdom army. All she knew was that if the opposition got too close the city would suffer.

"What do you need me to do!" Toph replied, allowing the man's military training to direct her power. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, not that she could see it, before speaking again.

"We need to reinforce a position. We need a large trench in front of the city. We hole up and wait for the main force of the army to give us back up." The man yelled out, Toph did not reply for a long time. She was far too busy holding her own against an extremely skilled waterbender. Finally, Toph summoned two walls of earth on each side of the water bender and brought them in to crush him. The distraction worked as water went out to bring down the walls, the man did not see the fist size rock shoot up from in front of him. It connected heavily against his chin. Toph easily heard his jaw breaking as the man fell on his back like a tree that had been chopped down.

"Go make your trench and I'll hold the line!" Toph yelled. She inhaled heavily as most of the soldiers that had gathered fell back at the command of their leader. She brought her fists together in front of her, the knuckles of her hands smashed against one another as fist met fist. She exhaled and threw her hands out wide, her fingers spread. Rocks protruded from the ground a hundred yards in both directions. Her hands pointed and a a single wall that was barely a foot off the ground formed in front of her, two hundred yards across. The armor on her body fell away as she concentrated heavily. She brought her hands beside her face and made a lifting motion, as if raising something over her head. All the way across the wall the rocks rose up in forming a long solid hill. Then with a great cry she threw her hands out in front of her and the hill surged forward, raising like a wave of earth as it moved away from her. The wave rose and began to overtake enemy benders. All across the battlefield eyes fell upon her, enemy commanders ordered to focus fire on her location.

As she heard the orders she couldn't help but realize how tired the last technique had made her. She breathed heavily and sweat poured from her brow. The steel lifted from the ground and bent around her body easily fitting around her feminine frame. Attacks began pouring down upon her, Toph inhaled deeply and got into the earthbending horse stance. She would not fall, she would show the world once again why she proclaimed to be the greatest earthbender ever.

XxX

Katara sat completely still, her eyes locked onto a perfect globe of water. She currently sat in the igloo she had crafted for herself, her legs folded neatly under her and her parka wrapped tightly around her body. Animal skins had been placed upon the floor of her igloo, placed so that they could combat the innate cold that permeated the ground beneath her. She inhaled softly and the globe of water rippled with the intake of air.

This method had been suggested by Aang after he had found the time to contemplate the process of opening all of his chakra's. The Guru Aang had visited told the young avatar that everything was connected. It was same line of thought that had caused Iroh's ability of redirecting lightning to be discovered.

She exhaled then and the water stilled. If metal was the same as earth and Toph had found a way to bend it to her will, what possibilities did water have outside those already discovered? That thought made her pause, water already had so many facets that Katara desperately struggled to master all it's branches.

She listened to the quiet crackling of flames just behind her. Despite the size, the small fire did well in warming her home. The thought of the fire made her begin to think carefully. She could freeze water with barely a thought, it came so easily to her now that simple breathing could freeze the globe in front of her in to a solid ball of ice.

If she could so easily freeze the water then could it not be heated? The thought process began to turn over in her head. The thought of cooking an enemy where they stood was thoughts better left to firebenders but Katara found herself curious to the possibility of heating the water she bent.

At the moment she was about to reach out to the water, the flap that acted as her privacy from the outside world was pushed aside and her brother Sokka jabbed his head in the doorway, his eyes wide with an expression of excitement on his tanned face. The globe of water rippled slightly but held together despite interruption. Katara raised a delicate eyebrow at her brother but didn't speak as her brother stared at her, the expression never left his face.

"Well what is it?" She said at last, giving Sokka a satisfied grin before he looked rather proud of himself. He stepped in completely and leaned against the wall next to the door looking very proud of himself. "Well?" Katara pressed, not in the mood for her brothers antics.

"Oh..." Sokka said pausing to examine his nails, he didn't say anything until he appeared to be satisfied with their appearance . "I thought you should know Appa's making his way down, I guess that means Aang's ba-" He didn't even finish, Katara rushed passed him and out the fur flap. He smiled knowingly before carelessly walking out behind her.

Katara moved out into the center of the village and looked to the skies. In the distance she saw the sure signs of a flying bison in the distance. Looking closely she noted that she did not see Aang sitting casually on the bison's head. The thought brought her pause. Sokka walked up beside her and looked at Appa's approach as well.

"Wonder where Aang is." He said suddenly, it made her apprehension grow steadily. Oh how her brother did not know how unhelpful he was. "Maybe he's asleep in the saddle?" Sokka asked, and Katara found herself shrugging despite herself. She moved outward toward the edge of the village, her eyes never leaving the sky. As she reached the outskirts she saw a crowd of people gathered there. A pang of annoyance was quickly squashed, she wished her meeting with Aang had been a private affair but alas that was not so.

Appa made his descent and Katara noted the speed in which he did was much quicker then the bison's normal flying patterns. Even without Aang guiding, Appa usually took a languid pace when he descended. This seemed far to rushed.

"Somethings wrong." Sokka stated just before Appa let out a loud roar. Katara met her brothers gaze before springing into action.

"Everyone get back!" Sokka yelled and Katara ran forward just as the bison touched-down, sending a drift of snow in all directions. Katara easily moved aside the snow and came forward. Her heart sank when she saw a patch of red blood in the grey spot of Appa's great forehead. Moving quickly ice gathered around her feet and she rose in a single ice column putting her feet level with the top of Appa's head. She noted the heavy breathing of the bison. The great creature must have made a mad dash to get here. She heard Sokka moving people away, then she heard her father's voice doing the same just moments later.

Katara moved back to the saddle and saw two covered forms lying there. One was the unconscious form of Aang, the other was Zuko. The sight of his left arm stilled her. From shoulder to the tips of his fingers, his entire left arm had been burned. The skin was black and massive red scabs were forming over the bicep and elbow. She looked to Aang again and saw no outward sign of injury on him. She moved to wake him, but found that he would not respond to her. Carefully she moved over to Zuko and brought water to her hands. It began to glow a dark blue as she placed it on his arm.

"What happened to you?" She whispered, realizing that for them to be in this condition then Aang had done more then chase some shadows, as he had put it when he left weeks before.

"How bad?" Sokka asked, appearing to her as he stepped into the saddle having come up from the tail. He looked over the two and cursed under his breath, a bad habit he had gotten into the more he integrated himself with the older men of the tribe.

"We need to take them to my house, I'm worried about Zuko. This arm is bad."

XxX

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
